Well it would seem that Hasbro is getting their money's worth out of the FOC Bruticus molds. Which makes me wonder if perhaps we'll be seeing another combiner in the near future? and one particular thought keeps coming to mind, it concerns the Ruination redeco of Bruticus. personally I really dig the opposite faction redeco and kinda hope Hasbro keeps the trend going with any future combiners. as such I send the following challenge out to you folks who would you redeco/retool the existing combiner teams into?

-edit:You guys have thrown out some great ideas so far the ones I like the most are-

Depends on sales and customer insight reaction. To which we will never know. But It will depend on characters that will show up in TF4 and they do take notice of what 3rd parties are knockout. I'd guess at menasor ( as there is a race car theme in TF4) and Defensor as its not been tackled yet

Monstructor -- If Abominus were made, perhaps Monstructor would be a repaint/remold of that. Otherwise: Dinoforce

Superion -- As with Menasor, G2 colors or make a combiner of Decepticons: Starscream/TC/SW/Sunstorm/Acidstorm or Overlord?(Silverbolt), Dreadwind(Skydive), Darkwing(Air Raid), Needlenose(Fireflight), Thrust(Slingshot)

Well if they made enough combiners in scramble city style they could mix n match limbs for potential new combiners.

Also, lets say all combiners are made with the option of having two figures form the body (Devestator) or one torso member as most other combiners then there'd be alot more interchangeability.

And alot of combiners could be done as first time gobots combiners or maybe that'd be where the mixing & matching for redecoes would come in.

I like @Edgewise choices, I'd also like to see Menasor > Renegade Puzzler utilizing a proposed option of having two bots replace one as the torso, Menasor > Gaurdian Combiner with Staks as leader/torso bot, Superion > Renegade Combiner with Snoop as leader/torso bot, Predaking > BW Combiner with Stampede joining Leo Prime, Tigatron, Airazor & Rhinox and if Headmasters got a combiner redeco or retooling I'd like Cerebos as the leader/torso bot and for Highbrow to be a retooling of an existing helicopter but just my thoughts.

I hate to say it but I'm done with Hasbro combiners if FoC Bruticus is their idea of a good combiner. After getting bit by the 3P Combiner bug, it's hard to go back. I'd be down for any combiners Hasbro does as long as they are **NOT** Scramble City and they **DO** partsform. I think FoC Bruticus suffered tremendously for those reasons. ANY 3rd Party combiner looks lightyears better than FoC Bruticus because they partsform allowing for better proportioned limbs. Likewise, having a core bot bigger than the rest of 'em does wonders for the proportions of the combined form.

**IF** Hasbro did learn from the mistakes of FoC Bruticus and allowed for non scramble city and parts forming combiners, I'd like to see a new Seacons team, as well as new Protectobots. Hell, even another Superion would be great too.

Monstructor -- If Abominus were made, perhaps Monstructor would be a repaint/remold of that. Otherwise: Dinoforce

Superion -- As with Menasor, G2 colors or make a combiner of Decepticons: Starscream/TC/SW/Sunstorm/Acidstorm or Overlord?(Silverbolt), Dreadwind(Skydive), Darkwing(Air Raid), Needlenose(Fireflight), Thrust(Slingshot)

While I'm madly in love with the Decepticon Defensor idea, I think the Headmasters would be better suited as a repaint/remold of Bruticus. I brought it up a long time ago, and Vangelus also mentioned it in a different thread.

Oh, and if they mix & switch limbs they could do Nexus Prime fro potential Superion & Bruticus figure as TFCC did for ghe exclusive. Also, Squadron X could be done similar to the Wreckers being done from FoC Bruticus but maybe by mixing molds from different Autobot Combiners.

I hate to say it but I'm done with Hasbro combiners if FoC Bruticus is their idea of a good combiner. After getting bit by the 3P Combiner bug, it's hard to go back. I'd be down for any combiners Hasbro does as long as they are **NOT** Scramble City and they **DO** partsform. I think FoC Bruticus suffered tremendously for those reasons. ANY 3rd Party combiner looks lightyears better than FoC Bruticus because they partsform allowing for better proportioned limbs. Likewise, having a core bot bigger than the rest of 'em does wonders for the proportions of the combined form.

**IF** Hasbro did learn from the mistakes of FoC Bruticus and allowed for non scramble city and parts forming combiners, I'd like to see a new Seacons team, as well as new Protectobots. Hell, even another Superion would be great too.

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I don't think Scramble-City and non-parts-forming are mistakes Hasbro needs to fix. I think the mistakes they need to fix are: 1) Use a larger torso(either 2 deluxes or 1 voyager) and 2) Don't reinvent the wheel(arm) every time.

I think 1) is self-explanatory, by 2) I mean I think Vortex makes a very good arm and leg. Use that same basic design instead of many different designs in coming up with arm and leg modes. The original Scramble City limbs real boil down to just a few basic designs with some different flourishes.

So using 1 basic design for Limb-bots in a future combiner should help, though with Bruticus they maybe couldn't have done that so much and emulate the video game designs in robot and vehicle modes as much as they did.

While I'm madly in love with the Decepticon Defensor idea, I think the Headmasters would be better suited as a repaint/remold of Bruticus. I brought it up a long time ago, and Vangelus also mentioned it in a different thread.

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When I started making that list the Technobots/Headmasters idea I think was a convolution of the ideas of repainting the FOC Combaticons into Technobots and of repainting the FOC Combaticons into the Headmasters.

Technobots/Headmasters doesn't line up quite as well, but it seems like the Combaticon molds are getting 'played' out. Not sure I'd really think another repaint of them would be a good idea anymore. Maybe for FunPub to do sometime.... maybe

Well if they made enough combiners in scramble city style they could mix n match limbs for potential new combiners.

Also, lets say all combiners are made with the option of having two figures form the body (Devestator) or one torso member as most other combiners then there'd be alot more interchangeability.

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I would LOVE this idea. This could fill several lines and be a continuing system(though looking at how a simple system like the C-clip system was to implement, I'd say Hasbro don't like continuing systems aside from 5mm/3mm fist holes)

Modular combiners are the best way for kids to actually complete a combiner. Plus there's TONS of repaint potential. Say after every heritage combiner is made up, Hasbro not only mixes and matches limbs/torsos for repaints, but switches the original version's heads around for the repaints for more 'unique' looks. Hell, they could even throw in one new mold and one remold for each 5-man repaint set to keep it fresh for collectors(and picky kids)

This is an amazing idea.

Edit: New combiner ideas:
-Circus-themed: Onslaught mold for torso with a remolded back end for hauling circus animals, First Aid mold for another random circus vehicle, Wildrider mold for the clown car, Rampage mold for the obligatory circus animal, and the new mold would be a pickup truck with bullhorns on top.

-Spy-themed: Scattorshot mold as the torso and fuctioning as the mass-shifting command base, Dead End mold as the spy car, Skydive mold as the spy jet, Afterburner remold for spy cycle, and the new mold as the spy submarine.

-Jungle-themed: Razorclaw mold as the torso, Swindle mold for a jungle camo jeep, Blades mold as the rescue copter, Overbite remold as the jungle monster, and the new mold as some kind of off-road truck.

-Space-themed: New mold torso as the UFO, Blast-Off mold of course for the shuttle, Tentakill mold as an alien, Lightspeed mold as the space-car, Slingshot remold as a spacecraft.

-Farm-themed: Motormaster mold as the torso, Scavenger mold as farming equipment, Breakdown remold as a family car, Tantrum mold as the uh... livestock?, and the new mold as a farming tractor.

I don't think Scramble-City and non-parts-forming are mistakes Hasbro needs to fix. I think the mistakes they need to fix are: 1) Use a larger torso(either 2 deluxes or 1 voyager) and 2) Don't reinvent the wheel(arm) every time.

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They ARE mistakes, because scramble city and integrated hands and feet forces the design to accept concessions that impact many factors of the figure. FoC Blast Off's Bruticus hand is small and anemic, and Vortex's hand is likewise too small, and stuck in the karate chop pose. Swindle, who is the only one who has decent combiner hands, are still too small, and Brawl doesn't even have a hand. No, his toes and heel spur do NOT count as hands. It's lazy as fuck. Worse, three out of the four hands are all curling poses, meaning you will never get any good poses out of the figure when holding the weapon if it isn't on anyone but Vortex.

People tend to consider Swindle better as an arm...and I'd agree, but even then it's still nasty. It just doesn't look that good. Blast Off is nasty in arm or leg, and Brawl doesn't fare any better. Vortex actually looks like a good leg, and all it needs is just for the rotors to fold up better. As an arm...yeah, he's acceptable.

I think 1) is self-explanatory, by 2) I mean I think Vortex makes a very good arm and leg. Use that same basic design instead of many different designs in coming up with arm and leg modes. The original Scramble City limbs real boil down to just a few basic designs with some different flourishes.

So using 1 basic design for Limb-bots in a future combiner should help, though with Bruticus they maybe couldn't have done that so much and emulate the video game designs in robot and vehicle modes as much as they did.

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I agree that the torso bot needs to be bigger. As far as universal style limbs...that's nice but you can only really do that for certain combiners. Menasor is all cars plus a truck, and Superion are all jets, so that's do-able, but Bruticus? Defensor? Computron? I doubt that'd work for those guys.

I just think that the example set by 3rd party is the right way to go. Even TFC Hercules has hands you have to parts form, because TFC seemed to believe that you sacrifice too much to integrate the hands. TFC's Superion seems to have all parts formed hands and feet too, for the same reason. If partsforming is so undesirable, then why is it that the BEST looking combiners do it? Why is it that 3P do it all the time? Partsforming is what makes combiners look good, and I think any direct comparison between FP Bruticus and FoC Bruticus can prove that conclusively.

I'm more than happy with 3P combiners. If Hasbro never does another one, then I'm not gonna miss it. As I said in another thread, if FoC Bruticus is what Hasbro thinks is an acceptable combiner, then I'm done with Hasbro combiners. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch for Hasbro to partsform hands and feet. I just think they'd be too cheap to do it. I understand that I'm not the demographic, yes. Kids are who Hasbro are aimed at. However, I care because it's very clear that Hasbro caters to the collectors too. I think the current Thrilling 30 releases already prove that. Releasing characters with no "kid" media, no tie-in game, no casual appeal or hook. When was the last time Hoist was in a cartoon? Trailbreaker? Hell, even Thundercracker or Skywarp? These figures are released for fans. This tells me that even if Hasbro aims at kids that they do care about the adult collector too. So because of that, if they do another combiner, I'd personally plead for them to reconsider scramble city and integrated hands and feet.

They ARE mistakes, because scramble city and integrated hands and feet forces the design to accept concessions that impact many factors of the figure. FoC Blast Off's Bruticus hand is small and anemic, and Vortex's hand is likewise too small, and stuck in the karate chop pose. Swindle, who is the only one who has decent combiner hands, are still too small, and Brawl doesn't even have a hand. No, his toes and heel spur do NOT count as hands. It's lazy as fuck. Worse, three out of the four hands are all curling poses, meaning you will never get any good poses out of the figure when holding the weapon if it isn't on anyone but Vortex.

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TBH I think the problem is that they tried to do both. Having intergrated parts should specify that a figure is a particular limb (It's eithar an Arm or a Leg, not both!). Like wise the only way to acheive a proper scramble city type is to partsform the hands/feet/etc.
As for the 3/4 combiner hands being in a fixed fist, other than 3rd Party, Masterpiece and BT/Alt line, your not gonna get working digits. Yeah it sucks, but that way it is.

I just think that the example set by 3rd party is the right way to go. Even TFC Hercules has hands you have to parts form, because TFC seemed to believe that you sacrifice too much to integrate the hands. TFC's Superion seems to have all parts formed hands and feet too, for the same reason. If partsforming is so undesirable, then why is it that the BEST looking combiners do it? Why is it that 3P do it all the time? Partsforming is what makes combiners look good, and I think any direct comparison between FP Bruticus and FoC Bruticus can prove that conclusively.

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It's not that partsforming is undesirable, it's the fact that he way Hasbro does it, the parts only have a function in 1 mode: Combined.
The success of the 3rd party combiners and partsforming, is that they have intergrated the parts to be able to be efficiently utilised in indiviual bot and alt modes.
The other side of the coin is cost. The FOC Combaticons are deluxe sized figures, sold at a deluxe price point. Show me 1 3rd party combiner figure that can say the same. The 3rd party combiners have a greater engineering and design element, thats costs more, and we're all prepared to that extra to have it. But these are aimed solely at us collectors. FOC Bruticus has a wider catchment range and also needs to simple enough for little jimmy to transform without breaking!